Three Georgetown alumnae returned to the Hilltop for the Female Innovators Panel at Georgetown’s 2025 Venture in the Capital Conference: Devi Sahny, founder and CEO of Ascend Now; Amanda Eilian, co-founder and partner of Able Partners; and Nekeshia Woods, managing partner of Parkway Venture Capital. Mandy Vogel (MSB’26) and Devon Pasieka (MSB’25) moderated.
Each described a risk that changed her path. Woods left government after a White House internship and caught “the bug” for growing businesses at IBM. Eilian, a School of Foreign Service student who planned a government career, tried investment banking and was struck by how fast she learned. Sahny talked about moving to Singapore to build Ascend Now, which teaches social emotional and entrepreneurial skills, and urged founders to choose investors carefully because the relationship is long term. The panel also discussed AI regulation and deep tech, and closed with advice to persevere when told no.